Players adapting to my philosophy: Beefy

By The Standard | Jun. 14, 2017 | 3 Min read

IT hasn’t been the great start that new Harare City coach Philani “Beefy” Ncube had hoped for when he joined the club a fortnight ago, but the former Bulawayo City gaffer believes the players are beginning to adapt to his philosophy and results will soon come.

BY HENRY MHARA/MUKUDZEI CHINGWERE

Phiri was beaten 1-0 by Dynamos in his first Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match as City coach and won the second, a comfortable 2-0 victory over Bantu Rovers.

He lost his third, a 1-0 defeat to Chicken Inn, and he has a tough match away to unbeaten FC Platinum today.

While Beefy has picked just three points from a possible nine, he is encouraged by the way the team is adapting to the new system he wants and could start reaping the rewards at Mandava Stadium this afternoon.

One of the major changes that the coach has made as he tries to shake things up at the club is appointing new captain Tendai Samanja, who takes over from James Jam and will be assisted by Raymond Uchena and Edwin Madhananga.

“The boys are coming up as far as my philosophy is concerned and we are going to give it a fight. It is not going to be easy, it would be like climbing Mount Everest, but we will negotiate and find our way and try to get maximum points. It’s a process, and not an event. So far things are looking positive and one change for sure which I have done is changing the captain of the team,” Beefy said.

“I just wanted to change (the captain), because I felt those who were there were not lucky, so I’m trying to bring change hoping something might happen. So far the reaction from the squad has been so positive.”

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City, third from the bottom on the log standings, travel to Zvishavane hoping to achieve what no other team in the league has managed to do this season, beating FC Platinum in the league.

“Records are there to be broken. We are going to be the first team to beat them. As long as our attitude is positive, nothing can stop us. It will be 11 players versus 11, unless otherwise.

In a bid to strengthen the team, Dube has roped in two new additions to the squad this week in Welcome Ndiweni and Warren Dube.

The other good news in their camp is the return to full fitness of some of the team’s regulars like Themba Ndlovu, Takudzwa Chimwemwe, Honey Chimutimunzeve and Tatenda Tumba.

After a horrible start to the season which saw coach Mike Madzivanyika demoted to the assistant role, Dube said the club had revised their objectives for the season.

“At the present moment we are the whipping boys and our target is to survive relegation, but if we can win at least five games then we will be up there with the big boys. But for us to stay in the league, we have to beat the best.”

FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza, who guided the Warriors to a commendable 3-0 win over Liberia in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Harare on Sunday before dashing back to Zvishavane, will be out to prove to FC Platinum that he has the required acumen to lead both the club and the country. Mapeza is the Warriors interim coach.

Mapeza told a Press briefing in Zvishavane yesterday afternoon that it will not be an easy game though he expects to collect maximum points at home.

“Harare City are a quality side and they have a new coach, you know each time a coach comes, players would want to impress. We know the danger which Harare City pose, but I think we have done enough homework and the most important thing is that we are playing at home and let us utilise our home advantage.”

FC Platinum will be without Simon Shoko, who was injured on national duty, while Marshall Mudehwe has been given compassionate leave following the death of his mother recently. Winston Mhango, who lost his uncle, could also be ruled out.

Though his team is unbeaten so far, Mapeza is still demanding an improvement.

“In the last two games we played, we picked two points which is not good enough for us. We lost points in the games we should have not,” Mapeza said.